Clutch



July '14, 1931 N. LOMBARD l 1,814,566 I CLUTCH Filed Aug. 16, 1929v 2Sheets-Sheet 1 y www N. LOMBARD July 14, 1931.

CLUTCH Filed Aug. 16, 1929 -2! Sheets-Sheet 2 JIJ/1.4.1!!!

.Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED s'ixairzs NATHANIEI: LOMBARD, OF.WORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS CLUTGH Application mea August is, 192s. serialNo. 386,379. l

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a clutch, withoutlevers, springs, or other mechanical connections, which will act tobring a load up to speed gradually 6 without causing the load on themotor or other prime mover to rise to .an excessive point at any timeduring the operation; and to provide a clutch which will talie holdgradually and evenly and yet consist of a minimum number of parts andhaving simplicity of construction throughout.

Other ob'ects and advantages of the 1nvention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be-hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Fi 1 is adiametrical sectional view of a clutchV constructed in accordance with-this invention, showing the clutch inactive;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the clutch partly in section, showingthe condition when it is operating to transmit power to the load;

26 Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but in non-active condition, of amodified form of the clutch;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5` of Fig. 4,

Fig. .6 isaJ plan of the expansible operating member of the clutchremoved from the rest of the apparatus; and

' Fi '7 is a view similar to Fig. i, but

showing the clutch in operation.

` This clutch is capable of use in many laces and is of generalapplication. It can used with either portion connected -with the primemover, but ll have show n it as having a driving shaft 10 to which areslidably keyed one or more discs 11, each having an inte ral hub 9through which the shaft passes. hese hubs are independently and slidablykeyed to the driving shaft or one of them. l

Surrounding the discs 11 is a cylindrical frame or casing 12 of metal.Inside the two discs 11 is an annular container 13 of rubber or otheriexible material, and conytaining a body of liquid, as for example,

water or oil.

In Figs. Pand 2 this li uid isvshown up l to a certain level, which, ocourse, it maintains when the driving shaft 10 is not rotating. Uponrotation this liquid will tend to'be distributed by centrifugal force inan annular ring around the circumference of this container, as shownmore particularly in Fig. 3. The effect of. the pressure induced bycentrifugal force is to force out the sides of this container, asindicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, and press apart the two discs 11, sothat they will be forced away from each other along the shaft. Of coursethe -discs and the rubber container rotate positively with the shaft.The casing 12 prevents the rubber container from expanding in an outwarddirection and confines the same to forcing the two discs apart.

In forcing the discs 11- apart, they will press against a pair offloating friction discs 15 which in turn press against the walls 16 ofthecasing of the clutch. These walls can transmit power to the hubs 17from which it can be taken in any desired way, but I have shown in thedrawings these discs as having connected with them a crowned cylindricalsurface 18 which constitutes a pulley from which the power istransmitted. rThis pulley flange is shown as integral with one of thediscs 16 and in screw-threaded connection with the other for adjustment.

For the purpose of venting the space around the inside of the container13, l have shown perforations 20 through the discs 11 and grooves 21 ontheir inner faces, so that' at all times air can enter and avoid theproduction of a vacuum here by the action of the clutch. l have showncollars 22 on the shaft 10 for preventing the shifting of the pulleythereon.

in the operation of this @mail it will te obvious that, as the motorstarts vor the shaft vapart evenly. and slowly and apply pressure tothefriction discs and walls of the casing or pulley. It will also beobvious that the clutch will come into operation automatically andwithout any sudden or excessive strain on the parts and that the curveof the power used in throwing in the clutch will be of a comparativelyflat nature instead of having an excessive rise in it near the start.

ln the form shown in the second sheet of drawings, the same principlesare involved with a single exception. The parts 9, 10, 11, 13, l5, 16,17, 18, 20, 2l and 22 are the saine as described before, but the ring orannular part that surrounds the rubber bag is shown as being made up o'a plurality of sections 25. These sections are all movable radially,

and therefore, the pressureol2 the rubber bag or container is exerted ina radial direction against the inside of the ypulley Harige 18 direetly.'lhis adds to the power of the clutch without detracting from its otheradvantages. These sections 25 are put in loose and spaced slightly apartand do not need any special Lguides. The advantages are substantiallythe same as in the other case, with the addition of the pressure againstthe circumereiitial flange oi3 the pulley 18.

Although l have illustrated and described only two :Eorms of theinvention, it will be understood, oi course, that this clutch does nothave to be applied to a pulley, but can be used 'for transmitting motionbetween practically any .lrind oi. a driving and driven member, and thatalso, when used as a pnlley, it can be reversed and the pulley can actas a driving member instead of a driven member by changes that will beobvious in View of the above description, without departing from thescope ci the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore ll do notwish to be limited to the particular forms Ashown and described, butwhat l do claim l. ln a clutch, the combination with a driving anddriven member, of a dexible closed container having liquid therein, apair or'j discs on opposite sides ci the container engaging it andmovable apart but rotatable by the driving member, a ring around theexible container consisting of a series of separate segments, a casinghaving a circular surface against which said segments are adapted tobear, whereby upon the rotation of the driving member the liquid will bethrown out to the circumference of the container and will force saidsegments outward-

